GEOGRAPHY AND EXPLORATION. 317 



after which he regained liis startiui^ point at Gilgit after having made 

 topographical studies of some importance. 



Africa. — The continent of Africa is becoming better known every 

 year, but at the cost of many lives; in fact it is hard to tell whether 

 the polar regions oppose more difiBculties to overcome in exploration 

 than these equatorial regions or not. Both parts of the globe have 

 great natural obstacles to be overcome, but those found near the equa- 

 tor are iuteusitied by the stubbornness, jealousy, and tricky dispositions 

 of the natives. Thus each year a new list of victims to their barbarity 

 has to be prepared, but this does uot seem to prevent men risking their 

 lives in the exploration of the dark continent. 



Eobecchi of Cairo has started across the Libyan desert from the Nile 

 to Tripoli. The latest news from him was to the effect that he had 

 reached the Oasis of Siwah safely. 



Italy seems to be studying the eastern portion of Africa very care- 

 fully just at present; at least there are a large number of Italian voy- 

 agers in Shoa and Abyssinia this year. It is said that the object of 

 their trip, commercial or political enterprises, forces them to remain 

 quiet concerning all they observe, and therefore they have not published 

 much. The names of some of these exi)lorers are Autonelli, Martini, 

 Plana, Kagazzi, Salembeni, Traversi, etc. Other travellers who have 

 had secret missions have been able to impart valuable information to 

 geographers without committing any indiscretions, as, for example, 

 Captain Longbois, who has given a very attractive descri[)tion of his 

 voyage to Shoa where he visited King Meuelik, and it is hoped that 

 our Italian friends will soon follow his example. 



Another very fatal portion of Africa is the extreme eastern part near 

 the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The list of those who have lost their 

 lives in this region is quite long already, ami this year we must add the 

 massacre of the Italian expedition under Porro at Harar, also of that 

 under Barral at Shoa, the death of Paul Sollellet, the French ex[)loier, 

 at Aden, as the result of the hardships of his trip to Kafifa and Shoa, 

 aud then the complete destruction of the crew of a French man-of-war 

 in the Gulf of Tajurrah. In si)ite of all this the Italian voyager Frauzoi 

 will make an attem[)t to reach Kafla and the great lakes by tiie way of 

 Zanzibar, and is fitting out an expedition to make his [)r()posed trip. 



When the insurrection in Egypt under the Mahdi broke out Dr. 

 Schnitzler (Emin Bey) was governor of the equatorial provinces, in 

 the service of the Khedive, and was stationed at Lado. He was not 

 only noted ibr his activity as an officer, but also as an explorer. This 

 man, and those who supported him, were thus penned up, and for a long 

 time no news came from them, for communication in the direction of 

 Egypt was thus cut olf. At the same time the state of affairs to the 

 south and east was hardly less favorable. Between the Soudan and 

 the Indian Ocean we find the kingdom of Ouganda, ruled over at pres- 

 ent by Mwanga, a very unworthy sueeeisor to Mtesa, who always aid^ti 



